


Not Special

by AlAngel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Lots of Hurt Feelings, Sam and Dean are unknowingly total assbuts, birthday fic, ending is hopeful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 08:56:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11101191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlAngel/pseuds/AlAngel
Summary: It’s your birthday, but although living and working with the Winchesters for a long time you never told them. So Dean eats your cake while Sam makes terrible jokes all day until Cas picks up on the truth.





	Not Special

Title: Not special  
Pairing: TFW x female!Reader   
Word Count: ~2.7k  
Warnings: angst, lots of hurt feelings, Sam and Dean are (unknowingly) total assbuts, ending is hopeful tough  
Summary: It’s your birthday, but although living and working with the Winchesters for a long time you never told them. So Dean eats your cake while Sam makes terrible jokes all day until Cas picks up on the truth.   
(A/n: This is based on my past experience from high school. Believe me, I’m so done with people thinking the greatest thing about today is Justin fucking Biebers birthday. So this is for all the people (like me) who gave up on telling anyone their birthday, to prevent them from forgetting. Happy March 1st and happy birthday Jensen Ackles!)  
...

You couldn’t believe it’s been another year, another year you survived your job and another year you’ve grown older. If you kept that up you might be the first hunter that ever lived to retirement age - the joke fell flat even in your own head and you sighted. It was really just another day to get over with.  
However you wouldn’t let yourself be deprived of the small things a birthday brought. Last night you made a small cake and later you would treat yourself with an actual bath, not a quick shower like normally. Maybe you could even check your finances and see if you could get a new top or something. As a hunter you learned to enjoy the small things in life.  
So when you got up to get some breakfast in the bunker kitchen your eyes fell on Dean who sat there munching on your cake with some book in hand. Normally you’d be more than happy that the older Winchester contributed to research by doing some actual reading instead of googling Japanese porn, but today you looked with a thrown at your half eaten cake. So much for that.  
“Morning, (y/n/n)” Dean grinned as he saw you walk in, noticing your frown he looked slightly guilty at the cake. “Sorry. It was the only eatable thing I found. Sammy exchanged all our cereal for his stupid healthy muesli stuff.”  
“It’s fine” You sighted. If he had known it was for your birthday he sure wouldn’t have eaten it. But since you didn’t tell the Winchesters your birthday even after years of working together, you couldn’t blame him. Normally you were more than happy to share your baking. Plus in all the previous years you had always made enough cake to leave some in the fridge for Sam and Dean, because even if they didn’t know what it was for, it made them smile to get some homemade treat food every once in a while. Only last night you had run out of flour since as Dean said your kitchen seemed short on supplies, so the only cake you had was mostly gone by now.  
Preparing yourself mentally for eco rabbit food muesli as your birthday breakfast, you made your way to the cabinets, praying that there was at least some milk left. Checking the fridge of course you had no such luck. So dry muesli it was. Happy (y/a) birthday, (y/n).  
“Happy Birthday!” Suddenly someone yelled and you immediately tensed. How…  
“Let it go, Sam” You heard Dean growl and turned around after putting the muesli box back on the counter. The surprise yelling had made you drop little bits of oats and raisins all over the counter. Dean had a big frown on his face while Sam grinned over cheerful at his older brother. At least in that way it was a totally normal morning, there was never a time the two brother wouldn’t tease each other at the breakfast table. Really in that way they sometimes reminded you of five year olds.  
“Nop” Sam replied still cheerful and smug “It’s your birthday, Jensen.”  
“I swear one day I’ll get Cas to go back there and find Jerry’s birthday.”  
“It’s Jared.”  
“Whatever, dude”  
You followed the mocking dialog of the brothers and decided it had (again) something to do with the parallel universe thing Balthazar had sent them to. Being on a supply run when the angel had shoved them into the other universe you missed out on being an actor or whatever you guys were over there. Unfortunately really, since apparently some experiences back there made for awesome blackmail material.  
“Boys, we’re out of… well everything eatable to be honest” You interrupted while grabbing your bowl leaving the mess on the counter for later to clean. Maybe you could distract them before another year of birthday jokes started.  
“I went to get supplies last time.” Dean replied quickly, while Sam shrugged “I need to get a virus off my laptop since someone used it to watch porn again.”  
“Art”  
“Porn”  
With a sight you munched on your dry muesli, if you wanted to eat anything else tomorrow it would be up to you to get food then. Oh well a nice day out would probably help cheer you up and make the rest of the day a bit more durable.  
…  
Pouring rain hit you when you left the shop, soaking you on the short walk towards the car. Great. That hot bath tonight would be even more welcome than before.  
It hadn’t been the most pleasant supply run, but the rain really topped off everything. The shop had been overly crowded and the lines long, but at least you wouldn’t have to eat your muesli dry tomorrow. Before you got to the check-out you quickly stopped to add some pie for Dean to the cart, knowing it would improve his mood immensely after Sam’s almost constant teasing about this Jensen guy.  
…  
“Boys, I’m back” You yelled through the bunker as you carried the shopping backs inside. There was no reply so you went into the kitchen to put everything away. For a moment you considered making a new cake, but in the end you decided against it. There was pie in the fridge, no point in making another sad excuse for a birthday cake.  
When you finally settled everything in the kitchen and cleaned up the mess breakfast had left all over the place, you went of the find the boys. You finally found them in the library, Sam blasting stupid birthday songs from his laptop while Dean yelled more or less creative insults.  
“Glad your laptop seems fine” Was all you said before retreating, not feeling in the mood for their silly teasing today. That’s how you missed the confused look the boys threw each other after your fast exit. Normally you would jump right in with a sarcastic comment or maybe a pillow thrown right into Sam’s face.  
…  
The rest of your day was spent in your room, not bothering to leave – Sam’s teasing music and Dean’s loud protests echoed through the whole bunker anyway. Only in the late afternoon you left to get ready for that bath you longed for all day. Preparing the bathroom, you had lit candles and got a book you postponed reading to make you birthday bath the once in a year experience it really was.   
“Oi! Can you finish in there, (y/n)?” But after only ten minutes in the tub, someone knocked loud against the bathroom door and your peace and quiet seemed over. “We kinda need your help with the Latin translation. Mr Pre-law threw the towel.”  
You heart a “hey” from Sam in the background, which told you that he was close to snapping at Dean for being a dick about his temporary lack of Latin knowledge. Time to settle the fight, before Sam got back to birthday jokes like he did all day.  
“Give me five minutes, Dean” You replied already getting out of the tub and drying yourself of. Maybe next birthday then.  
…  
You and Sam struggled to translate the passage together, a small headache settling in your head, but you kept going anyway. It was just one passage, the two of you could get there!  
When suddenly you heard the flutter of wings which announced Castiel’s arrival to your little impromptu book club. A small smile appeared on your lips at the welcome distraction from the written words.  
“Hello” The angel said in his usual calm voice as his eyes searched to room till they settled on the three of you “Happy Birthday”  
Sam let out a roaring laughter as Dean flustered to protest to Cas’ joining in on Sam’s jokes, you forced on a small fake smile by now just done with the joke. It hadn’t been funny the first fifty times but it only got worse over the day. And Castiel joining in didn’t help either. It wasn’t their fault since you never told them, you told yourself for the millionth time today, but it also didn’t sting any less that apparently anyone seemed to be able to remember parallel universe Dean’s birthday so well.  
“I don’t understand” Cas looked very lost and confused now “How is it funny that I want to wish my friend a happy birth anniversary? Humans are normally quite fond of that.”  
“You realize it’s not Dean’s real birthday, right?” Sam asked still laughing but trying to be gentle with Cas who still needed to pick up on some human things, especially jokes.   
“Dean?” Now Cas seemed even more confused “I was talking to (y/n).”  
That made both Sam and Dean shut up and in turn they look very confused now. While all your blood drained from your face. How could he possibly know…? You were certain you hadn’t said anything to anyone. But it wasn’t his fault so you tried to do the decent thing and at least thank the angel for his well wishes.  
“Thank you” You said curtly before getting up to leave. You knew Sam and Dean and their tons of issues well enough that they’d probably feel terrible right about now and you didn’t want to deal with that as well today. All you wanted was to get this stupid day over and done with.   
No one tried to stop you as you walked past Cas and out of the library. The last thing you heard was Cas asking the boys if he did anything to upset you.  
…  
“No, Cas” Sam was the first to process what just happened “I think you’re the only one who did the right thing. Dean and I messed up big time.”  
“It really is her birthday today?” Dean asked looking at the door you had just walked out through. Realization of all the things they did today to make your day miserable settled in. “We’re the greatest assholes in existence, aren’t we?”  
“I don’t follow” Cas threw in, looking confused between both brothers.  
“I ate the cake she made last night. Her birthday cake.” Dean pointed at himself then at Sam “He made stupid birthday jokes all day since my parallel universe alter ego apparently has his birthday too today.” Dean looked absolutely devastated by now as his head fell in guilt and shame “And then we made her do the supply run all by herself and instead messed around in here.”  
“Did we really forget?” Sam asked quietly staring straight at the desk in front of him, trying to remember what they missed how they could have possibly forgotten something like this.  
“She never told you” Cas clarified “I picked it up on Sam’s last birthday when accidently reading some of her thoughts.”  
“Sam’s last… Cas we don’t do birthdays, same as we don’t do Christmas and all the other cliché family holidays.” Dean informed the angel surprised.  
“Right, you don’t do birthdays” Cas looked between Sam and Dean “But did you never wonder how (y/n) always decides to be in a baking mood when it’s Dean birthday or how she always ran across a book she knows Sam’s dying to read but would never buy for himself the day before or after Sam’s birthday?”  
Cas watched with even more astonishment as realisation settled in with both the Winchesters. Their faces paled as they looked everywhere but each other or the angel. Shit.  
…  
A soft knock on you door made you aware of someone on the other side. You could see the shadow of feet from under the door since the hallway was light up while you were lying on your bed in absolute darkness. Staring at the ceiling while contemplating if crying about this was appropriate or not seemed like bloody brilliant plan.  
“(Y/n)?” It was Sam’s soft voice asking for you when the door slowly opened a light cone started spreading over the dark floor.  
“Come back tomorrow” You replied without looking over to the door “We’ll finish translating then.”  
“We wanted to talk to you” Dean tried with an insecure tone in his voice.  
“How about not?” You took a deep breath, this was everything you wanted to avoid.  
“At least let us apologize.”  
“It’s alright. Don’t feel bad, you couldn’t have known.” I made sure of that.  
“Why didn’t you never tell us?” Sam asked, he sounded heartbroken “We made your day hell. Same as we did last year.”  
A quick memory of Dean yelling at you for baking to join in on Sam’s mean Jensen jokes, settled in, before you could force it to go away. This year didn’t seem too bad all of a sudden, at least Dean didn’t refuse to speak with you all day this time.  
“You guys don’t do birthday, I just rolled with it.”  
“Liar” Dean shook his head “Cas made us aware of all the things you do every year to make our birthday special even though we don’t celebrate and most of the time even forget to acknowledge your extra effort.  
The least we could have done was not make you run out in the soaking rain or interrupt your candle bath for some stupid translation.”  
“You want the truth?” You sighted, bracing yourself to open up, when both Winchesters nodded “I was afraid you’d forget. If you didn’t know I couldn’t blame you. But if you’d known and still went on with your jokes and accidently eating my cake, it would have hurt so much more.”  
“You think we would forget your birthday?!” Sam looked shocked, a look Dean mirrored. You smiled at their reaction.  
“Since high school everyone forgot my birthday. The two of you seem to forget or ignore each other’s birthday most years. Today is simply the day when there’s fresh cake in the fridge and when Sam cracks Jensen jokes. It’s nothing special.” You sighted not meeting their eyes instead staring at your blanket covered legs “In high school today was the day my friends celebrity crush had his birthday. I just didn’t want to wake up another birthday to someone asking me all excited ‘guess what day it is? Exactly, Justin, Jensen’s or whoever’s birthday’.” You sighted pushing all the upcoming memories back down before you whispered “I can handle people not knowing, I can’t handle people not caring.”  
Both boys looked at you with shock and growing sadness. They weren’t ones for celebrating birthdays or Christmas or any family holiday, but at least they had agreed on it not being worth the celebration with their broken family. You had simply swallowed the fact that you grew up with people who didn’t seemed to care enough to remember something as small as your birthday.  
“Okay that’s it” Dean said all of a sudden “Get out of bed, we’re going out for dinner. You get to choose where we go and neither Sam nor I will complain, doesn’t matter if it has tons of fat or if it’s yucky rabbit food. You’re going to have a real birthday dinner. This year and next year. We’ll remember.”  
“Thank you” You smiled at that, always loving it when Dean made a decision and got into determination mode. You could have hugged him right now, scratch that you totally would later. “But you really don’t have to do.”  
“We want to” Sam joined in a careful smile on his lips. You could still see in his eyes how it must have hit him hard, that obviously they weren’t to only ones with a messed up childhood. Definitely not up for their moping and guilt, you crack a small smile to tell them that you seriously didn’t blame them and that you really really appreciate their effort now.  
“Dean, can we play all those horrible songs Sam was playing for you earlier in your car?” You asked while the fake smile for their sake turned real “And maybe try and see if they’ll let us have some of these stupid birthday crowns at the fast food place down the road? One for Jensen” You teased before adding a bit more quiet: “And one for me?”  
“Absolutely” Both Sam and Dean agreed in unison, happy that you were smiling again. Seeing you happy made it more than worth it to take you out in the still pouring rain. Maybe they could still save the fiasco that you birthday had been so far. And even if they couldn’t make it perfect, they both vowed to do a better job next year.


End file.
